Was My Wudu Valid If There Was a Thin Line of Dirt on My Little Toe?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Alhamdulillah, I have been praying. However, last night, I saw a very thin line of dirt on each of the nails of my little/final toes. Because it was so thin, I was unaware of it until I looked at my feet after several days of prayer.
I’m concerned about whether my wudu is valid because those two tiny, pinky toenails have a thin line of dirt underneath them. Alhamdulillah, every other skin or body part was clean. If there is a barrier, however, what should I do? Should I repeat all of the prayers?
I don’t know how many they are or when that dirt accumulated, so roughly I figured maybe 15 days.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are well.
Thank you for your question and seeking guidance.
You have nothing to worry about; If it was dirt underneath your nail, it is not deemed a barrier; thus, your wudu was valid.
One of the conditions of the validity of wudu is water completely encompasses the skin and wets the area. Just assume it did; it was only dirt in the nail. [Shurunbulali, Nuru al-Idah]
Related:
Ritual Purity: A Reader
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
